My Nonprofit Reviews

I first learned about the Opportunity Network (Opp Net) through a colleague from a fellowship program for professionals in public service. This connection led me to hear about one of Opp Net's professional development sessions for their high school seniors - a speed networking/ interview prep event. This was a my first formal exposure to the organization and its work, and I was truly impressed and inspired.

The event itself is simple in concept. It's an opportunity for high school seniors to meet dozens of professionals in a variety of industries, hone their networking and interviewing skills, and get more comfortable verbalizing their unique stories and goals. This event, and the organization, is set apart by its execution and ability to provide underprivileged students with skills that are complementary to their academics and necessary for their collegiate and professional success; an area vastly under-served by typical NYC high school and other college access programs.

After that experience, which also gave me just a glimpse into how amazing and driven the cohort of students in Opp Net is, I sought further participation as a volunteer, shifting some time and energy that I had previously dedicated to other mentor opportunities towards Opp Net's college essay writing program. This program provides professionals with an opportunity to work more closely with one or more Opp Net high school seniors on their admissions essays for college and scholarships. It also allows for individual relationships to form, while providing some really clean constructs to help structure the process and maximize support for the students.

I continue to be amazed by the students and leaders in this organization, and am so excited to continue my work with them going forward.